Only You Could Have One
by etsuyo
Summary: Yami’s the only one paying attention to the conversation… because there’s always something that can be related to Egypt. [a lil YYxY in there too]


Only You Could Have One

Note: I'm sure someone would have already written about this idea, but I stumbled across it and instantly, naturally, thought of YuGiOh. Although it turned out less like a story than a rant explaining a concept, try to enjoy it anyway. Also, its kinda AU people!

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh, its content, characters, worlds, card games, history, and shoes are owned by, and copyrighted to, Kazuki Takahashi, and not me. I wrote this story though, that's mine. Not that anyone would want to take _that._

Warnings: This short fic is a lot about navel piercing. We're not talking in a kinky kinda way here though, sorry. Just in a general sort of way, so if you are particularly adverse to that, I suggest you look at something else I've written. Or, someone else has written… I suppose that's also a possibility.

Rating: M/Y (just to be safe, for subject content – piercing and stuff)

Pairing: YamixYuugi

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"I'm thinking about having my navel pierced!" Anzu announced happily one afternoon.

Nobody really said anything, which wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for. So instead she turned to them with an irritated pout, strolling to stand in front of the television.

"Ahhh!" Honda and Jou screamed simultaneously. Behind her the screen began to flash and the ominous "low health" warning beep sounded.

"You're blocking the screen!" Jou wailed, as if it wasn't obvious, throwing her a desperate look. She placed her hands on her hips defiantly.

There was a crash and what sounded like something being blown up, then the distinct noises of character death followed by, from what they could see, the words "game over" displayed on the screen.

"Ah, tough luck mate." Honda had been watching rather than playing that time.

"Anzu, wasn't that a little rough?" Yuugi asked hesitantly, not quite sure he wanted to assert himself when he wasn't ready to admit he hadn't been listening to her announcement.

He had been watching Yami instead.

"I'd almost won!" Jou insisted.

She snorted, "That was at least the twelfth time you'd attempted to beat that boss. You had hardly hit him at all!"

While they began to argue the point, Yami returned to join the group. He took a seat on the couch and placed their house phone on the table.

"What did Grandpa want?" Yuugi whispered from an armchair to the side of him.

Yami replied in a similarly low tone, "Just wanted to let someone know what he wished to eat for dinner. I wrote it down in the kitchen."

"Oh, will it be easy to make?"

Yami shrugged. He wasn't used to cooking for himself, let alone operating the appliances the Mutou family used to make their meals everyday. In any case, Yuugi could probably make whatever it was his grandfather wanted to eat (he hadn't understood the description), meanwhile he would do his best to offer suggestions from the sidelines. Normally Yuugi did listen to them but was wise to not necessarily try them out.

They both seemed to come to the same non-verbal conclusion and the smaller boy wasn't at all fussed when Yami broke off their conversation to interrupt the louder argument.

"Can I ask what has you so annoyed Jonouchi?"

Before Jou could sputter out a reply Anzu interrupted him. She cleared her throat loudly, "Ahem, anyway, as we're all here now," All being of the friends that had gathered at Yuugi's house that day, as opposed to all being every single one of the closer acquaintances that they knew, "I will re-make my announcement: I'm going to get my navel pierced."

"Going to? I thought you were just thinking about it?" Honda muttered under his breath, apparently the only one who had paid any attention earlier.

"Yay." Jou said unenthusiastically and rolled his eyes. She threw him a frown.

Yami had a peculiar look on his face, and after a thoughtful paused he asked, "Are you… _allowed_ to do that?"

Even if Anzu wasn't eighteen, it seemed an odd question. So much so that silence erupted amongst them as one by one their expressions turned to confusion. They didn't particularly care too much if she stuck a needle through her belly; however it was her choice, rather than a question of permission.

"Yes… why?" She answered for the group.

Yami seemed to have been on the verge of continuing speaking anyway, "I mean, I know people in this age, many people even, have that done to themselves, but is no one actually fussed about it?"

This seemed to confuse them more. "Well… no." Anzu had by this stage plonked herself on the floor across from them. Still, to Jou's annoyance, in front of the television.

"Heaps of crazy people do it." Honda added, not really a needle and piercing kind of person himself, he didn't normally spend hours debating the subject. "I mean, I don't see why anyone _would,_ but they do."

Anzu shot him a short glare, "'Coz they look nice."

"Why would anyone be fussed about it?" Yuugi asked, redirecting the conversation back onto the right track.

"In my time, you could be killed for having one." Yami could remember almost everything from his days ruling Egypt, although not everything he remembered he did with enthusiasm. Some subjects were more painful to broach. This, however, was a rather neutral topic of discussion.

Anzu's eyes widened like saucers, it seemed for a moment like he had just announced that she would receive a similar fate.

"What? Was it sacred to the Great God of Belly Buttons or something?" Jou asked, somewhat amused by the idea.

"The Holy Needle of Navel Dissection?" Honda input, despite his own reservations about the subject.

Yami shook his head, "No, many people had piercings. Just not… _there_."

"Why, was that illegal?" Anzu asked, who, although confused, managed to draw that conclusion.

"It was if you weren't a Pharaoh." He replied, with what could almost be considered an air of smugness. It was slightly hard to talk about his time as Ruler and not feel somewhat heightened by it. Although in this case he emphasized it more as a joke.

This received the reaction he'd wanted.

Anzu gasped particularly loudly, "Wow, I didn't know that!"

"So, does that mean _you _had one?" Yuugi wondered, although the answer was obvious, at the same time he felt he just needed to ask, to confirm.

"Yes." The spirit said without hesitation.

All heads immediately swiveled around and all eyes locked on Yami's belly. He felt slightly unnerved with so many people watching him all of a sudden, and his cheeks darkened a tiny bit.

"Well obviously it's not pierced _now,_ this is a new body!" He said with a degree of irritation, turning away from the collective stare and muttering some words of annoyance.

Yuugi found himself thinking of saying "Prove it", so that Yami would lift up his shirt, but decided not to.

Jou chuckled, "You know they're kinda… gay… on a guy. I mean, lots of chicks have 'em and that's fine. But not many men do."

The old Pharaoh frowned, "Not even if it's a symbol of royalty?"

"Yeah but, not many people _know_ that Yami." Honda explained, "And also, we don't live in Egypt." He felt maybe someone should remind the ancient spirit of this, just incase he had been planning to take Yuugi to school on a camel.

"Even if they did know it, I don't think it'd influence their opinions much on what it means today." Jou continued.

"Does it hurt?" Anzu asked, as Honda paled slightly at the thought of where the conversation was headed. "I mean, I've heard it does, but…"

Yami shrugged, "Yes, but you have such interesting modern medicines I'm sure it would be virtually painless for you, wouldn't it?"

"Not… exactly." Anzu conceded. Yuugi, who knew vaguely that the process consisted of something like sticking a large rod through your flesh, thought about how different it must have been three thousand years ago. They didn't have antiseptic or painkillers. Or stuff to spread on it to stop it getting infected. What kind of instrument must they have used in the actual process?

An image of an extremely rusty knife came to his mind. He visibly flinched imagining someone cutting Yami's body like that.

"Ah." The spirit murmured, understanding what she implied.

"You know," Jou said, obviously starting to find the whole story amusing again, "It's hard to actually imagine you with one. Maybe you should get it re-done?"

"Would go with your clothes," Honda pointed out, grinning. Yami's choice of clothing, although it looked nice on him, did not always reflect a straight orientation. The boys had pointed this out before but the ancient Pharaoh cared very little. Having a belly button ring would seemingly only enhance the image he projected.

"Hey, don't pressure him to do something he doesn't want to do!" Anzu leaned over to poke Jou in the arm.

Jou grinned despite it however, "Oh hey, maybe you guys could go together? A kind of two-for-one deal?"

"I doubt they do that kind of thing." She said flatly.

The phone rang quite suddenly, and since Yami had placed it on the table instead of back on its stand in the other room, everyone jumped at how loud and close the noise was. After a pause they all laughed collectively, realizing how ludicrous that was; they'd been so engrossed in conversation.

Yuugi leaned forward to answer it, then got up to leave the room to speak with the caller. This dealt a somewhat abrupt end to the conversation, as Jou, with 'better' things on his mind, utilized the distraction to tackle Anzu out of the way of the television. Honda resuscitated the game, and soon they were playing as they had been before. Anzu sat thoughtfully for awhile, contemplating whether she still wanted to get one, but didn't bring up the topic again.

Once Yuugi had gotten off the phone with his grandpa who'd called to change his order (this was not an uncommon occurrence), he joined them again. Jou tried relentlessly to beat a particular game boss, and after much shouting, annoyance, and biscuits hurled at the screen, he finally did it. This seemed an appropriate place to end the gathering, Honda practically insisting the blond did not start another level. With some grumbling but quick resignation, Jou had packed the game and waved goodbye, and Anzu and Honda followed shortly thereafter. The house was quiet once again.

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Later that night, after an interesting mess of dinner, a lengthy clean up and a pact never to speak of it again, Yami and Yuugi flopped onto the couch, exhausted. Due to one of the reasons why they weren't to speak of it again, they'd had to wash every dish twice. Sugoroku Mutou had feigned a headache and scurried off upstairs somewhat early into the evening. Yuugi was already dwelling on ways he might be able to get him back for that.

Yami had fallen into the seat on the end of the couch, Yuugi was somewhere in the middle but decided he wanted to be more comfortable. He swung his legs up and around, lying down and resting his head in the others lap. If the spirit was bothered or startled at all by this he didn't show it. The couch seated three people, and Yuugi's feet didn't hang over the arm rest by much at all; he had never exactly been the tallest of individuals.

They sat in silence for awhile, both still tired from the evenings ordeals. Finally Yuugi broke the silence.

"You won't _actually_ get it pierced again, will you?" Yami didn't miss the note of badly concealed concern in his others' voice.

He thought before answering, "No, probably not. This is a new life, a new body, and a new time. I'm not a Pharaoh anymore, so I don't need something that shows that I am."

"Oh good." Yuugi smiled, and closed his eyes for a few moments. Then he grinned in a cheeky sort of way; "Although Honda was right, it _would_ go with what you wear."

"Ha, like _your_ dress sense is any more spectacular."

"Hey!" Yuugi raised his hand from the elbow and gave the other a light punch on the arm. Yami smiled in the serene way he always did. Yuugi found himself smiling back.

The Pharaoh leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, then sat up again. "It's time for sleep, see you in the morning." He encouraged the other up a little until he could get out from underneath and then left up the stairs.

Yuugi waited for a little while, lost in thought, but eventually went to bed himself. It had been an interesting disaster for the evening, but the real food for thought was the new stories of customs from his partner's past. _Egypt is weird,_ he decided. However that didn't stop dreams of shopping for belly button rings from invading his mind that night. The only thing he remembered from it the next day was an image of Yami declaring loudly; "Purple is a regal colour!" And then insisting on buying one in the same shade.

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-Fin-

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Ending Note: Woah… hardly any setting or discernable plot? I know! Sucks, eh? Well… just wanted to write something random to give myself a break from working on "Arubaito", I love it but it's nice to write something else for once too.

Reviews are muchly appreciated and encouraged; even to tell me you didn't like it for whichever reason. That's still an opinion you can share.

-Etsuyo


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